Breaking Bad: "Sunset"Review

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By Seth Amitin

Well that was something.

"Sunset" was an intense episode, but not in the way you'd think. No one was threatened, no guns were pointed (except in the opening scene, when that poor police officer got the literal axe from the cousins). Hank, suffering from PTSD and all, became obsessive about catching Jesse. As Walt set out to destroy the RV, complete with a bittersweet goodbye, Jesse led Hank right to the RV with both of them in it. I thought maybe this was too cliche for the show. It seemed … I dunno, Three Stooges-esque. But no, it's not. It turned out to be a great scene and inched Hank a little closer to Walt. And frankly, I was hooked. How were they going to get out of it?

It was also a reminder of just how many different ways the boys can get ruined: socially, financially, etc. There are so many ways for them to fail.

The guys are helped out by Carl from Billy Madison, who so perfectly set us up to think he wasn't going to destroy the RV correctly and then saved both of them by knowing every inch of the fourth amendment. Hank has to back down and after a little help from Saul, he's runs off scared thinking his wife is dead (real classy move by Saul - though we're not quite sure how much Walt suggested this course of action).

The whole scene, from inside the RV to when Hank (Dean Norris) finally got out of there, was made even better by the scenes before it. Both Walt and Jesse seemed to be moving on. Both were enacting plans to move forward in business and in life. And then this happens and they're sent back into each others' arms. The ending RV-crushing scene was a little sweet, if only to see them back together again and being friendly - or at least too panicked to be antagonistic.

Dean Norris is doing a fantastic job in this season, though as much as I admire it, I still have problems with Hank turning to the dark side. He is -- well, was -- the best character not just because of his demeanor and Norris' acting, but because he provided the show relief from its pervasive tension. Now where do we get that? I wonder if there's any solution that doesn't end Old Yeller style for him. Maybe he kills the cousins, but that seems too simple for Breaking Bad. I mean, can you bring him back from this? There's no panacea for PTSD and knowing BB, the writers won't give themselves an easy way out. He's going nuts and he had a meltdown at the hospital in this episode. He's obsessive, he's irritated, he's eating a ton of fast food. Is there any redemption to be found that won't take multiple seasons? And don't we need him to be close to catching Walt?

Luck has always been a huge part of Jesse's character and even though I can't imagine good things coming his way, it looks like he dodged a bullet. When Gus mentioned the other shooter to the cousins, I thought for sure he was going to say Jesse. But no, he's talking about Hank. That's some well-executed intentional misdirection. Once again, it looks like Jesse's going to escape with his life, and in exchange he'll have to start from zero again.

Walt's new cooking partner, the bizarre Gale, makes for a great addition. Everything that Walt's been looking for has come directly from Gus. The good lab, the good partner, the good money. Gale's introduction was well-done - he just sort of appeared and fell right into place. He brings some fresh character blood too. Bringing in new characters is always difficult in TV, and especially serialized dramas. It's a necessary evil because the show's creators have to keep the show interesting without taking away from its current developments. Sometimes this creates forced interactions and can take the viewer out of the show's universe. BB has never done. What made Gale different is we heard plenty about the other characters who were dropped in mid-series. Saul was the criminal lawyer from the ads and Gus had a reputation that preceded him. Heck, even the cousins had a distinct reputation before they were on camera, whether or not we knew it (part of the cartel). Played by cable TV MVP David Costabile (The Wire, Flight of the Conchords, Damages) Gale is air-lifted by the gods directly into the show with no introduction, no anything, and it's like he was there the entire time.

Gale is an interesting guy, to say the least: he's cooking meth because he has a good degree for it and he's a libertarian. He believes people will buy the product regardless of whether or not he's involved and believes that at least if he's involved, they'll get what they paid for without additives. I found myself nodding during his reasoning much the same way I did in middle school when I found out cavemen used to kill each other and eat their brains. Huh, yeah, that kind of does make sense, doesn't it. It gets even better when Gale makes the world's greatest cup of coffee (with science!) and quotes Walt Whitman.

Gale is Walt's chemistry kin and I think that's what makes him so attractive. When they started cooking, this jazz number played and yeah, that's perfect. They're two jazz musicians, playing an improvisation together. They're in unison, harmonizing different melodies. I'm a little skeptical on Gale, I mean I wouldn't trust my own grandmother in that business. But it's hard to imagine any undercover law enforcement agent or maybe just a competitor's agent would get in that deep with Gus. At the same time, wouldn't you be a little skeptical? The guy is perfect. A little too perfect, no?

"Sunset" was another great episode following last week's. Breaking Bad is moving forward with story and it's been very good so far. You just know they're going to keep this up.